The Queen of Sheba: a novella

On the eve of her senior year in high school, Rachael learns that Leif, the boy she’s had a crush on for over a year — who disappeared the previous spring after showing signs of a worsening depression — is coming back to school.
Rachael knows a little something about depression. Hers comes in the form of a two-hundred-pound lion, named Sheba. At first, it seems like their shared experience with depression might bring Rachael and Leif together, but Sheba has other ideas. Rachael soon realizes that if she can’t get Sheba under control, she stands to lose a lot more than just her first crush.

Parental Advisory and Trigger Warnings follow, with slight SPOILER effect.

Parental Advisory: Adult Language and Sexual Content
Trigger Warnings: Depression, Suicide, Eating Disorders, Child Sexual Abuse